I don’t want to disrespect the other Liverpool players but, for me, he is the key player. For me, he is their best player

Yohan Cabaye

Toon last tasted Premier League success there in Kevin Keegan’s first spell as boss when they won 2-0 with goals from Rob Lee and Andy Cole in April 1994.

And France midfielder Cabaye, who faced Kop hero Gerrard in the 1-1 draw with England at Euro 2012, insisted: “I don’t want to disrespect the other Liverpool players but, for me, he is the key player. For me, he is their best player.

“Yes, he’s 32 now, but he’s still excellent – his passing is very good.

“He can win the game for his team with his delivery or his finishing.’’

Cabaye and his French pals were on the receiving end of Gerrard’s cross which made Joleon Lescott’s opener on June 11 in Donetsk.

Cabaye added: “Laurent Blanc told us he was the best player and we had to look after him.

“He set up the goal with a typical Gerrard delivery.’’

Cabaye, 26, admitted one of the reasons he moved from Lille was to test himself against the likes of Gerrard – who plays his 600th game for Liverpool today.

He said: “Firstly, to play against Gerrard and the other big players and teams was the main thing why I came here.

“Secondly, the Premier League is the best league.’’

But if Cabaye fears Gerrard, Newcastle boss Alan Pardew feels that Liverpool should be equally worried about his man – who he rates as better than the likes of Manchester United’s Michael Carrick and Barcelona’s former Anfield star Javier Mascherano.

Pardew said: “I’d certainly put Yohan in the top eight or ten midfielders in the Premier League, of that type.

“It’s very difficult to find a midfielder who has not just his work ethic but also the creative ability he has.

“He’s certainly the best I have worked with in my time, which is why he’s a French international.

“I had Michael Carrick and Javier Mascherano at West Ham and Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan here. I’ve had very good players in his position – but Yohan is the best.

“You know he has a little fuse in him. A couple of times he’s reacted in a negative way, in my opinion but he’s overcoming that.

“He took a couple of heavy tackles last year and he finds that unjust. I think a lot of creative players think it’s unjust when they get tough treatment.

“But that’s the Premier League and that’s what makes it find players out.

“If you’re going to be a great central midfielder – like Roy Keane or Bryan Robson – this is the league to do it in.

“Absolutely, Liverpool should be worried about Yohan, because the great players affect games and he’s a great player in my opinion.

“I think we carry three or four great players and he’s one of them.’’

On Gerrard, Pardew added: “You can’t man-mark him because it would be detrimental to the rest of your game.

“But you’ve got to keep an eye on him, as he proved to me in the FA Cup Final when I was with West Ham!